Developer gets to do as it pleases

Published 7:04 pm, Thursday, January 10, 2013

To the editor:

So the bad guys win. As you reported on the front page of Wednesday's Advocate, our mayor has handed Harbor Point developer Building and Land Technology the final piece of the puzzle: a "letter of intent that grants the right to include city-owned property" in the plans to relocate the boatyard. And the icing on the cake is that Mayor Pavia gets the final word on which city boards and commissions need to give final approval. BLT should kiss the ground he walks on.

Only the people of this city have had the courage to stand up and speak against this. BLT has done what it damn well pleases all along with impunity, while our elected officials have hemmed and hawed. Now we will end up with some monstrosity at the water's edge where the original boatyard once stood and served the community, and in addition give away tax credits and loans to some out-of-town corporation to call Stamford its home temporarily. When the loans come due and the tax breaks expire they will find another town to move to.

Let's keep all these facts and the names of the culprits well in mind when election time comes around.

I watched an unfamiliar car drive up to my house this morning, and -- I assume -- a neighbor got out and dropped something in my mailbox. It was a bill (of mine), obviously delivered to his house in error.

If he had "`returned to sender" and the invoice had to be resent, it would have taken quite some time and possibly incurred a late fee.

So thank you, whoever you are, for taking the time to save me what may have been a lot of aggravation.

Let us all remember to practice random acts of kindness no matter how small. Starting the new year with his kind act makes me have hope that this year will be a great one for all.

How dare state Rep. DebraLee Hovey (R-Newtown) accuse Gabrielle Giffords of politicizing the horrible tragedy that happened in Sandy Hook? Congresswoman Giffords was invited to meet with family members by a private group of citizens to try to comfort those who lost their loved ones on Dec. 14.

It is apparent Hovey felt she was slighted and insulted for not being informed or asked to attend this meeting. I have news for Hovey -- this is not about you, it is about trying to comfort the families by someone who has suffered through the same type of terrible experience. Rep. Giffords is a courageous person who has been trying to fight back from the horrible injuries inflicted upon her by the same type of person who took the lives of those innocents in our state.

The press was barred from this visit. This meeting was set up by private citizens. This was not politicizing. Newtown and Monroe are not Hovey's towns -- she doesn't own them. She was elected to serve the people and she should now issue a proper apology because her poor excuse for an apology: "My comments were meant to be protective of the privacy of the families..." doesn't cut any ice with those of us who find her apology disingenuous and her remarks about politicizing this visit disgusting.

She claims she didn't intend her remarks as an insult to Congresswoman Giffords personally. She not only insulted the congresswoman, she made us ashamed someone we elected could be so self-serving and egotistical. Who politicized this? I suggest DebraLee Hovey look in the mirror.